


I'm Here For You - Always

by landito



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: F/M, brettsey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:01:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25976365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/landito/pseuds/landito
Summary: I never felt that the episode where Sylvie’s mom passed away gave enough time to Matt consoling Sylvie.  Here’s my shot at what if the night Julie passed away went like this?
Relationships: Sylvie Brett & Matthew Casey, Sylvie Brett/Matthew Casey
Comments: 33
Kudos: 63





	1. Lean On Me

Sylvie already had one occasion to be concerned for her birth mom and her pregnancy. That was at Molly’s when Matt came over to their table to say hello and introduce himself to Julie. After a few minutes of chatting, Julie experienced some pains and Sylvie, always leaning on Matt for support, gave her his keys and he drove them to Chicago Med. It turned out fine, only false labor. Julie was grateful for the loving interest Sylvie showed and even commented on how Matt was a great guy. Of course, Sylvie still denying her feelings for Matt told her, “It’s not like that”, we’re just friends. Julie responded with affection, “Yea okay, if you say so”.

This pregnancy was unexpected and with Julie being nearly 47 years old, it was certainly in the high-risk category. So, a few weeks later, when Sylvie’s birth mom Julie walked into the Firehouse and said she was having some pains and discomfort, Foster and Sylvie took no chances and used Ambo 81 to transport her to Chicago Med. This time it wasn’t false labor, Julie was in labor. 

Worried because her due date was weeks away, Sylvie tried to reassure her that it was all going to be okay. With all the excitement and expectations to finally meet her half-sister, Sylvie decided to stay at Med and wait it out while Foster drove Ambo back to the Firehouse to finish their shift. She called Julie’s husband Scott to let him know it was time. While waiting for him, she paced back and forth. Without hearing a word or an update in what seemed like forever, she began to worry. Scott called to ask for progress and informed Sylvie that there had been an accident and he was delayed. Sylvie tells him she was still waiting at the hospital telling him she wouldn’t leave and would stay as long as necessary. She’d let Scott know that as soon as she got an update, she would call him. Finally, the doctor came in, gave her a bit of disturbing news but assured Sylvie they were on top of the situation and she was in good hands. Some time again passed and still no updates. 

Sylvie sat down, pulled out her cell phone and the first person she thought to text was Matt – her go-to support and strength. Always there for her, always in the wings and always on her mind. Without hesitation, Matt immediately picks up from his discussion with Mouch at Molly’s and heads out to be with Sylvie at the hospital.

He walks in and sees Sylvie is still pacing back and forth. She apologizes for disturbing him but Matt interrupts her mid-sentence and tells her “Sylvie, you never disturb me. I’m here for you”. Matt thinks she looks concerned and worried so he puts his arms around her and brings her in for a hug. She nestles into him feeling his strength and no longer feels alone. They both sit down; Matt puts his arm on the back of the chair that Sylvie is sitting in. She leans into his shoulder, looks at him and quietly tells Matt how grateful she is that he is there with her. Matt gently touches her cheek with his thumb and then simply says “always”. They look into each other’s eyes and then settle in to wait for some news about Julie. 

After what seemed like forever, the doctor enters the room with a sullen face. In her heart, Sylvie knew something was wrong, concern and fear gripped her. Matt was trying to assess what was happening and he too knew this wasn’t going to be good news. They scramble up from their chairs and approach. The doctor began to speak but Sylvie seemed as if she was in a trance and not fully comprehending what was being said. Matt grabs her by the shoulder as the words “Sylvie, she died” echoes in the room but it doesn’t quite sink in. Quietyly an “Oh NO!” pierce Sylvie’s lips but still it seems she isn’t fully grasping the reality of the doctor’s words. Her body starts to shake, she looks at Matt with horror in her eyes and he folds her into his arms as the doctor asks if she would like to see the baby. Almost emotionless on the surface, but a volcano inside, Sylvie looks at Matt for guidance. He is her strength; he is her rock. He tells her to go, go see the baby. 

His heart is breaking for her. He’s thinking of the past few months and how Syvlie at first didn’t want to get too close for fear of her birth mom leaving and starting a new life with a new baby. If that happened, she didn’t want to feel the hurt buried deep inside her for most of her lifetime. He thought of how she was so strong throughout the process, so happy things were working out and he thought of the devastation this night had become for Sylvie, his Sylvie. He feels helpless as Sylvie begins to leave the waiting room with the doctor. 

As Sylvie starts walking away, she turns back to look at Matt. She can’t do it; she just can’t do it without Matt being by her side. She turns, walks back to where Matt is standing. With tears in her eyes, lays her hand on his arm and pleads with him to come in with her. Without a second thought, he tells her “Of course,” Matt wraps his arms around Sylvie’s shoulder and together they walk to the nursery to meet her sister.

As they both stand behind the glass partition, looking in at the newborn baby girl, tears flow uncontrollably down Sylvie’s face. Trying to control her sobs, Matt reaches down to her ear and tells her it’s okay, let it out. When you’re ready, you can go in. She grabs Matt by his waste, pulls herself close to his chest and tells him “I’m ready, but please come in with me”. He does.

Sylvie gently picks up the baby, cradles her and rocks her in her arms. Matt stays back observing that this woman he adores is going through so much pain and thinks of how much he admires her strength. How brave to be able to endure what for many would be intolerable. He just stares and can’t believe what is happening but remembers something he told her months before when she first told him about her birth mother. “If anyone can handle this, you can”. That was so true then and so true today. Her inner strength amazes him and he knows and vows that he will help her through this. 

Matt waits until Sylvie signals him that she is ready to go. She places the baby down in the crib, kisses her forehead and turns to Matt. He takes her in his arms, she leans into his shoulder and he consoles her and whispers “lean on me” as they walk back to his truck.

"Sometimes in our lives we all have pain  
We all have sorrow  
But if we are wise  
We know that there's always tomorrow"  
Lean On Me: song written and recorded by Bill Withers


	2. I Won't Let Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt takes Sylvie back to her apartment - what happens then!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse typos or grammatical errors - not my strong suit

The ride back to Sylvie’s apartment was quiet, almost too quiet for Matt. He keeps turning to look at Sylvie who has her head in her hands whimpering and trying to be brave and strong. Matt squeezes her shoulder, an endearment he shows her often knowing it’s better to just let her grieve, let her get the sorrow out. Matt never wants Sylvie to feel that she has to hide her feeling with him whether they’re sad ones or happy. It didn’t matter, he just wanted for them to have the ability to be open and honest with each other.

As they pull up to her apartment, Sylvie takes a deep breath and with red, swollen eyes releases her seatbelt, looks at Matt and thanks him for taking her home and being there for her. 

Matt turns to her; his look is sympathetic but also resolved and tells Sylvie “I won’t let you go into your apartment alone. I’m coming with you to make sure you’re alright and settled.” Sylvie objects and tells Matt she doesn’t want to disrupt his life any more than she has over the last few months and tells him she’ll be okay. She knows Matt’s tired but down deep she also knows she needs him. But, Matt being Matt, he doesn’t take no for an answer, gets out of the truck, opens the door, takes Sylvie’s hand and leads her out of the truck. As if all the air has rushed out of her, Sylvie collapses. He catches her before she falls to the ground, quickly lifts her in his arms and carries her the rest of the way to her apartment.

Sylvie stirs and opens her eyes; she doesn’t even realize what’s happened but then the walls come tumbling down and she again is sobbing uncontrollably into Matt’s shoulder. Matt says nothing but embraces her even tighter hoping that hold on her invokes a sense of support and caring. He grabs for her keys dangling from her purse, opens the door and lays her gently onto the sofa. The apartment is dark, no one is home, Cruz is on shift and Foster, well she could be anywhere.

Matt asks Sylvie if she wanted something to eat, she shakes her head no. He insists on at least having a cup of tea and as he scrambles around her kitchen, he keeps flashing back the memory of Sylvie holding the baby in the nursery. The image rocks him. Always wanting to help, always wanting to be everyone’s go to and trying to be strong for everyone else except herself. He vowed that moment he was not leaving her; he was not going to abandon her tonight and then this thought enters his mind, “maybe not ever.”

Sylvie is restless on the sofa, shifting from one side to the other and as Matt brings her the tea, she snuggles up to him and thanks him for taking such good care of her. He looks at her and reminds her that he’ll always be there for her, he’ll help her through whatever and whenever she needs him and gives her a comforting smile. The flood of tears begins again, she’s exhausted and she’s sad. Matt is exhausted but he won’t leave her. He takes her by the arms, stands her up facing him and dries her tears with his fingers. After she gains her composure, he tells her to go get comfortable and ready for bed. She hesitates but knows she needs her sleep. He sees the hesitation in her eyes and knows what she’s thinking. It’s as if their souls can reach and touch each other’s thoughts. He reassures her that he wasn’t going anywhere and he’d be right there in the living room waiting for her when she was done.

A bit later Sylvie comes out from her bedroom looking a bit more relaxed and refreshed. She thanks Matt again for his unwavering support and tells him she couldn’t make it without him. In the back of her mind she wanted to add “not now, not ever” but keeps that to herself.   
Foster still isn’t home and Matt is determined not to leave her alone. It is so late and she doesn’t want Matt to leave but is aware that he needed to get home, thanks him and tells him she’s okay and wished him a goodnight. He knows she’s hiding the truth, she’s not okay. Again, with determination written all over his face, his response is short and simple. I am not leaving you. I’ll settle here on the sofa until Foster gets home. 

With the sign of relief etched across her entire face, she rushes into his arms and asks if she can lie with him on the sofa softly telling him she doesn’t want to be alone. He sits down, guides her to the sofa and as she rests her head on his shoulder, he engulfs her with his arms. He tells her not to worry, she’s not alone, “I won’t let go, I will hold you tight”. With that, Sylvie falls fast asleep in Matt’s arms.

While Sylvie slept, his thoughts wandered to Gabby and after all he had been through with her and how that relationship built so many walls between them, tearing them further and further away from each other. He knew some of it was his fault. Some Gabby’s. No matter how hard he tried to make it work, he gave up a part of himself along the way by accepting Gabby’s independence to the point where he was excluded from life altering decisions. Decisions that affected both of them. He kept thinking their life together should have meant something more than it did. He vowed he wasn’t going to do that again, not with Sylvie.

As he sat there with Sylvie wrapped in his arms, it felt so comfortable, so right. And then, Matt’s mind wandered to thoughts of a real life with Sylvie, his real feelings, a real partnership where their love came first. He shakes his head, a small smile crosses his face and, if a light bulb went off, he now was acutely aware of what he wanted his future to look out. The answer came quickly and happily, it was a future with Sylvie Brett.

“I will stand by you  
I will help you through  
When you've done all you can do  
And you can't cope  
I will dry your eyes  
I will fight your fight  
I will hold you tight  
And I won’t let go”….song by Rascal Flatts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I Won’t Let Go”, sung by Rascal Flatts, written by Steve Robson, Jason Sellers, Label Big Machine


	3. What Ifs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when morning comes.

The sun was shining through the kitchen window and stirred Matt awake with its glare. Matt and Sylvie now both positioned lying next to each other on the sofa. Matt opens his eyes, looks to his side and see a peaceful Sylvie still sleeping. No way was he going to disturb her sleep. Not after the night she had. 

He lies there and just watches her sleeping peacefully. His heart bursts with such affection and thinks to himself “Now I know how it is for someone to trust you and accept help.” 

He never had that before with Gabby, never could understand why two people who were supposed to be in love and partners for life couldn’t depend on each other in time of crisis or sadness. It didn’t make sense to him that Gabby excluded him from life altering decisions with the excuse that she valued his opinion. She always insisted that she had to do things on her own, in her own way. Shaking his head, he thought “Didn’t she realize that was supposed to be the way it was, each taking care of the other with no agenda, no judgement, just love and caring.”

Matt knew he couldn’t wiggle out of Sylvie’s arm that she had wrapped across his waste or her leg which was strapped across his thigh without waking her, so he just stayed in one position, loving every minute of it. After a while, Sylvie began to stir, opens her eyes and looks up at Matt. She jumps up and is rambling an apology that is almost too cute not to laugh at. Matt sits up and tells Sylvie “It’s okay, it’s the best night sleep I’ve had in a long time”. Sylvie smiles at him, shakes her head, points at him and says “Matt Casey you’re lying” and now they both chuckle.

The following part of the morning had Sylvie getting ready to go to the hospital and Matt grabbing a change of clothes from his car. No way was he going to leave her today. Matt calls Chief to let him know what’s going on and in typical Boden fashion tells him to take whatever time he needs to help Sylvie. Chief hangs up and is dumbfounded at what he just heard. He mentally puts in a tickler reminder to talk to Severide when he gets in to stand in for Casey for today’s shift.

Matt comes back into the living room, decided to make some coffee but didn’t hear or see Sylvie. He calls her name, no response. He shouts her name, still no response. Worried, he strides to her bedroom door and knocks. Through a small crack in the doorway, he sees Sylvie sitting at the edge of her bed and she seems okay. He’s relieved and he doesn’t think she’s crying. She responds to his knock that she’d be right out and Matt breathes a sigh of relief. 

A few minutes later, Sylvie comes to the kitchen counter, swollen red eyes, hair pulled back in a pony tail and announces to Matt that she’s not going to cry anymore and linger in self-pity. She declares firmly, “I am going to help Scott through this, I’m going to help him with the baby when I can and tell him that I want to be part of their lives. If I can lighten his load just a little, then I think I will be honoring Julie’s memory at the same time”

Matt looks at her with such pride and admiration in her strength and character. A lump formed in his throat thinking how lucky he was to have a Sylvie in his life. This Sylvie who was kind, generous, thoughtful and yet, oh so fierce. The Sylvie who made it a joy to be around and a comfort for everyone she cared about. He was so drawn to her beauty, inside and out, and wanted more.

With thoughts of Sylvie fluttering about in his head, he admonished himself to stay focused. Today was all about Sylvie, all about standing with her and by her. Stay on course he reminds himself; you need to be there for her and not to cause any more anxiety to her existing circumstances. For him, there was no longer any denying that he loved her but that was something to deal with later on. It was time to put her first and foremost. It wasn’t about what he wanted, it had to be about her, what she needed and what she wanted. He would have to wait; he would have to be patient. 

As Sylvie was dressing, she thought about the last 24 hours, the heartbreak, the uncertainty of what would today bring, Matt’s face kept popping up in her mind. It felt right for him to be there with her. It felt right to wake up and see his face. Finally, after months of insecurity and all the “what ifs” about her feelings, she realizes that this is the man she wants to be with. This man, Matthew Casey, was everything and more. He might not be perfect but he was perfect for her. A true compliment to her personality, a true partner in all things and at the worse times in her life, the man who has been at her side no questions asked, never expecting anything in return.

At the same time, as Matt was waiting to get into the shower, his thoughts were on Sylvie. He too had been worried for months about all the “what if’s”: what would their friends think, what if it didn’t work and their friendship was ruined. Matt knows Sylvie so well, knows what’s been swirling in her head: how she’d never want to hurt anyone from their past in the process of finding each other, how she would put everyone’s feelings before her own and then he thought of a song:

“What if I was made for you and you were made for me  
What if this is it, what if it's meant to be  
What if I ain't one of them fools just playin' some game  
What if I just pulled you close, what if I leaned in  
And the stars line up and it's our last first kiss  
What if one of these days baby I'd go and change your name  
What if I loved all these what ifs away” song by Kane Brown featuring Lauren Alaina

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “What Ifs” sun by Kane Brown featuring Lauren Alaina, written by Kane Brown, Matt McGinn, Jordan Schmidt, Label RCA Nashville.


	4. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The culmination of 24 hours of unexpected sadness. What does it lead to?

Matt appeared and Sylvie turned to him with a smile on her face. A warmth overcame her as she looked at him walking towards her. Sylvia motions him to the breakfast she’s prepared and asks “Ready to have something to eat. It’s not much, but it’s something”? Matt smiled, answered yes, and they ate in comfortable silence. 

Finally, Sylvie broke that silence with a sincere thank you to Matt, and while tears filled her eyes, this time it was because she was able to admit to herself that this man standing in front of her was the man she loved. This handsome, kind, caring gentle man was there for her. Matt approached Sylvie, reached for her, took her by the hand and led her so she could stand facing him. He cupped her face in his hands, stroked her hair and said to Sylvie, “How did I get so lucky to have you in my life”. Sylvie raises her head and replied “I’m the lucky one.” 

Matt looks at her, his heart is telling him that it doesn’t matter what has happened in the past, what their history together is. He knows that every step he has taken has been a step in her direction, in her arms. At this moment, and with their affection for each other on full display just through their eyes, Matt tells Sylvie, “I know we have a lot to work through and this is such a hard time for you, but Sylvie, I can’t keep this to myself any longer, I love you so much and I’m not ever going to stop loving you. And no matter what the future holds, we will always be best friends. But I’m hoping we can be more.” 

Matt doesn’t know where that came from but it felt right. Panic sets in and he immediately starts doubting himself. He’s filled with trepidation on how Sylvie will react. His thoughts wander, “Did I just mess up and speak too soon, speak at the worse time and ruin any chance I have?” He really didn’t want to put any more pressure on her, especially now. But he feels it was something that had to be said, he feels free and relieved to have said it and waits for her reaction. He’s not expecting an answer that moment but wishes for any sign from Sylvie. 

Blushing, Sylvia looks down, still holding Matt’s hands, looks up, locks eyes with him and then responds, “Matt, Yes, there’s a lot I will, no we will be facing in the next few weeks but knowing that you love me, support me and will be there for me makes it so much easier to deal with. I’ve worried for so long about hurting Gabby, about how difficult it would be for you at 51, how other people would look upon this, and on and on, but I’m not going to worry about that any longer. I love you too and have for a while now. After the last 24 hours, I realize how fragile life can be and I don't want to waste another minute without you.” Matt sighs with relief and he smiles adoringly at Sylvie. He takes her in his arms and holds her close. As they gaze at each other, Matt lowers his head and their lips meet for a kiss that was filled with love and tenderness. No words had to be spoken, the embrace and kiss said it all.

And so, their day began, ready to face the harsh realities of Julie’s death and funeral, Scott’s anguish and fear of raising the baby, and hopefully even a little bit of joy at Joe and Chloe’s wedding. But one thing was for sure, they could face it all because they would be together. They now have each other to lean on so neither of them would fall. Yes, love, respect and where it all started “best friends”. Sylvie was now ready to go back to the hospital with Matt right by her side. Off they went, walking with arms around each other’s waist… and together.

“You said "I love you" to me  
And I don't know what that means  
So I froze on my feet  
People use it so carelessly  
And I couldn't believe  
That you would dive in so deep  
And you said perfectly  
Everything I've been feelin' about you  
It's time to break the chains  
That held me back from you” Parallel Line by Keith Urban 

The End

**Author's Note:**

> “Lean on Me”. Sung by Bill Withers, written and produced by Bill Withers, Label Sussex


End file.
